Wichita eagle., 1887-07-20
THE BURTON CAR COMPANY.

As was announced in our yesterday s is
sue, representatives of the Burton Car Com
pany of Boston, Massachusetts,, arrived in
this city yesterday morning, consisting OF
General E. F. Perkins, vice president: Chas.
E. Barker, Esq, general solicitor; and Z. 4.
Merrill, general western agent. As is
known to the directory Of the City Board of
Trade and to number of ctler
citizens, the Burton Car Company
builders of the Burton stock car
and all manner of railway rolling stock
are an immensely wealthy corporation of
Mass achusetts who have decided to put in a
plant at some western city. Although re-
ceiving offers from number of cities, the
co mpany seems inclined to Wichita or to
Kansas City, the places in their judgment
which bid the fairest for future greatness.
The plant they propo ie to PUT in cannot be
described within the compass OF this article.
The plant will be composed of two immense
buildings or structures, each S0x250 feet, two
other buildings of 60x200 feet, another 50x150
feet, together with general office building
and number of smaller structures. Ali Of
the main buildings are supplied with wild
erness of machinery, some of it immense and
some of delicate construction, with an iron
engine rooms, etc, all placed in
a proper line over a system of four railroad
tracks, so that the raw material which is
started in at one end or at the first building
comes out at the last section complete car
of some desired pattern. The works are de
signed, at their fullest capacity, to turn out
fifteen finished cars per day, including all the
wood work iron and brass mouldings, paint
ing, etc. The works will employ hundreds of
men, at their fullest capacity something like
one thousand to fifteen hundred workmen
and experts which would mean for Wichita
direct addition to her population of four
or five thousand people, to say nothing of
the number added indirectly. General Per-
kins kindly went over and explained to the
editor of this paper and to the board of
trades committee, all the plans and draughts
of the works which are completed to the
smallest detail. The gentlemen named
spent the entire day yesterday looking
over the city and its surroundings, but the
day closed down with its intense heat before
the task was completed. Today they will
take in the Fifth ward or west side and it's
environments.
1t would not be proper probably to quote
the observations of the gentlemen touching
their impressions of Wichita, its location, its
faith and evident prosperity and those
touching the enterprise of our people. Suf-
fee it to say that the erroneous impressions
endeavored to be made upon
their minds by unfair and
short sighted rivals were all soon obliter-
at I'd and the pleased establishment and nap
py disappointments will prove more in
Wi chita's favor than though Kansas City
an ST. Joe had admitted the truth. 1t is,
no wever, probably not improper to say that
all were greatly pleased with our city, and
with every thing connected with it, from its
inexhaustible supply of pure water and
broad expanse of valley to its beautiful
homes, fine business houses and lively streets.
A few days will determine the whole mat
ter, in the meantime the EAGLE wishes our
co N mittee success and victory.